American · Belmont, Vermont, USA · Born 27 January 1987American snowboarder and 2006 Olympic halfpipe champion who has donated her competitive winnings to fund humanitarian projects in Kenya through her own maple syrup charity brand.
Hannah Teter was born on 27 January 1987 in Belmont, Vermont, the youngest of five siblings in a snowboarding family; two of her older brothers competed on the U.S. team and her eldest brother became her agent. She began snowboarding at eight and had become World Junior Halfpipe Champion by age 15, going on to win her first Winter X Games medal at 16. At the 2006 Turin Olympics, Teter was not considered the favorite but delivered a winning halfpipe run to narrowly defeat close friend and teammate Gretchen Bleiler for gold, despite having undergone two knee surgeries the previous year. She was named USOC SportsWoman of the Year and won the ESPY for Best Action Sports Female. Rather than cashing in commercially, Teter used her new platform to launch 'Hannah's Gold,' a nonprofit maple syrup company that funds humanitarian projects - schools, clean water wells, and HIV support - in the village of Kirindon, Kenya, in partnership with World Vision. Teter added an Olympic silver in halfpipe at the 2010 Vancouver Games behind Australia's Torah Bright, finished fourth at Sochi 2014, and narrowly missed selection for the 2018 Pyeongchang team. Across her career she won six World Cup victories and seven X Games medals. In 2014 she became the first Action Sports Global Ambassador for Special Olympics, helping bring Unified Sports snowboarding events to the X Games, and has continued to donate her competition earnings and syrup sales proceeds to charitable causes throughout her career.
Winning Olympic halfpipe gold at the 2006 Turin Games and channeling her fame into a maple syrup charity supporting humanitarian projects in Kenya
How They Played
Smooth, technically consistent halfpipe rider known for reliable amplitude and composure in high-pressure Olympic finals
Lasting Impact
Remembered as much for her philanthropic work as her competitive success, having redirected years of snowboarding winnings toward humanitarian causes in East Africa
Career Honours
- 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist, Halfpipe
- 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist, Halfpipe
- USOC SportsWoman of the Year (2006)
- Founder of Hannah's Gold humanitarian charity
American Athletes